Gross Motor Skills Profile And Assessment Of An Intervention Program For Morocco Children With ASD

INTRODUCTION: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a cluster of developmental disabilities encompassing motor impairments. Due to potential regional variations, certain countries, like Morocco, lack precise information regarding the profiles of children with ASD in their population. The first objective of this study is to provide a preliminary overview of the gross motor skill profile of Moroccan ASD children. The secondary aim is to assess the impact of an intervention program expressly designed for the unique needs of children with ASD. METHODS: The total sample size (N = 32) consisted of 14 children diagnosed with ASD and 18 children with typical motor development. The ASD cohort was stratified into two distinct groups: the experimental group (N = 7) underwent a 15-week training program specifically targeting gross motor skill development, while the ASD control group (N = 7) experienced a 15-week conventional physical education (PE) program. Both groups were assessed using the UQAC-UQAM test battery, comprising 10 items targeting five gross motor skill factors (segmental speed, agility, reaction time, balance, and coordination). RESULTS: Each motor skill item value was standardized through Z score transformation. A composite score was generated by summing the Z scores of the 10 motor skill items. Although no significant difference was observed at baseline (T1; p = 0.168) between the experimental ASD group (Z score = -0.87 ± 0.14) and the ASD control group (Z score = -1.04 ± 0.28), the composite score after 15 weeks of specific motor skills training (T4) showed a significant improvement (P ≤ 0.001; effect size = 2.88), with a Z score of -0.306 ± 0.192 versus -1.346 ± 0.361 in favor of the experimental group. Thus, the experimental group progressed from the 19th percentile to the 39th percentile, while the ASD control group regressed from the 15th percentile to the 9th percentile. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an initial overview of the motor skills development profile of Moroccan children with ASD. Our results highlight the importance of adapting PE programs according to the specific needs of ASD children. The application of conventional PE programs with ASD children appears to yield poor results. This study, however, demonstrates the possibility of a notable improvement in ASD children in the Moroccan cultural context. we have not received any subsidies